Textile labelling rules for retailers in Northern Ireland

If an item contains more than one fibre type, each component must be labelled with its correct composition – for example, wool 80%, cotton 20%. There are only certain fibre names you’re allowed to use, and the regulations list permitted names, along with the products that don’t need to show fibre content – see exempted products.

In the EU and UK, all textile items for consumers must include this information. Labels are usually stitched inside clothing, so they’re easy to find.

For business-to-business sales, fibre composition may be listed in accompanying commercial documents instead.

Labelling a textile product

To meet the regulations and inform consumers, textile labels must:

• be in English, durable, legible, visible, readily accessible and securely attached
• use only approved fibre names (e.g., wool, cotton, silk, polyester)
• accurately reflect the fibre content
• list the fibre content of each component, if the product includes more than one material
• exclude decorative materials under 7% of total weight and antistatic fibres under 2%
• use terms like '100%', 'pure' or 'all' only when the product contains only one fibre type (eg '100% wool' or '100% cotton' requires the product to contain only the stated fibre)
• state 'contains non-textile parts of animal origin' when applicable

Where fibre composition for textile products is difficult to determine, terms such as 'mixed fibres' or 'unspecified textile composition' may be used to help avoid misleading consumers. Small accessories like buttons, buckles, slide fasteners do not require fibre labelling.

Specific rules apply for labelling certain products, including corsetry and embroidered textiles.

Where identical textile items are sold in multipacks, fibre composition can be labelled on the packaging instead of each individual product.

Labels should be securely attached, but do not need to be permanent. Secure and durable swing tickets or gummed labels are acceptable at the point of sale. For pre-packed items, it is sufficient to show the fibre composition on the packaging only.

Unlabelled and second-hand textile products

All new textile products must display their fibre composition with a label.

Second-hand products must also be labelled. If the fibre content cannot be determined – for example, when original labels are missing – retailers may describe the item as 'old made-up textile product' to clearly inform consumers of the uncertainty regarding fibre content.

Labelling for advertising and online textile sales

If customers can order a product directly from an advert, the advert must state the fibre content.

This applies to:

• websites
• catalogues
• circulars
• price lists and trade literature.